Standing in a Sea of Clouds

Thirteen-year old Matt Moniz hasn’t read Ernest Hemingway’s classic short story, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro.”  But unlike Hemingway, Matt has actually climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

No big deal. He’s working his way around the continents, having also reached the highest points of Europe, North America and South America.  That leaves Australia, Asia, and Antarctica still to conquer.  In mountain climbing lingo, that puts Matt in the 4/7 club, having summited the highest peaks of four out of the seven continents.

The top of Kilimanjaro is special, Matt says.  “There were no mountains anywhere.  There was just a sea of clouds below you.”

Last summer, Matt set out to climb the 50 highest points in all 50 states in 50 days—an adventure he refers to as the “50 in 50.”  He did it with almost seven days to spare.  In the process, he became a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and established a new speed record for the U.S. Highpoints. He just completed a 30-page book about his “50 in 50” expedition for National Geographic.

The previous year, in 2009, he tackled another excursion called the “14 14ers in 14.” Translation: he climbed 14 mountains over 14 thousand feet high in 14 days.  Well, Matt did it in eight.

Perhaps it’s just what they do in his home state of Colorado.  With “14ers” in plentiful supply across the state known for its outdoor culture, mountain climbing seems like a logical form of entertainment.  But for Matt Moniz, it’s something else.  It’s more than a hobby, and it’s deeper than a passion.  It’s a way of life that flows seamlessly in and out of natural rhythms of his life.

Training for a major climb is an ongoing process.  Matt does two hours of rock climbing three times a week, supplemented with uphill mountain biking, running, and strength workouts.  He fine-tunes his skills in a climbing gym, where he practices with members of his climbing team.

In preparation for his trip to Bolivia this summer to summit two 6,000 meter peaks - Nevado Illimani and Huayna Potosi - he and his father drove 12 thousand feet up a 14er, slept the night to help acclimate themselves to the thin air, and then rode their mountain bikes the rest of the way up.  Sometimes he carries a “super-heavy” pack around when they go hiking just to get used to the extreme weight of the gear they will carry on a major climb.

Despite all the methods of preparation though, Matt says, “I think the best way to train for mountains is actually to climb mountains.”

It’s all serious business.  The things that could go wrong on a climb range from discomforting to life-threatening.  Take weather for instance, the top of a mountain can present an enormous range of experiences: extreme heat, extreme cold, and storms that crop up violently at the very summit. Every climber will have an aversion to a particular type of weather.  Matt is no exception: “I really, really hate the wind.  I’m pretty much fine with any other weather, but I cannot deal with wind.”

Clipping snow pickets is another major concern.  As Matt and his father climb, they plant stakes in the ground that will catch those who fall.  When they stop to camp at certain points on the way up, they set up tents, cook, and cut one-foot square snow blocks.  “On Denali,” Matt says, “the wind is so fierce so you build a wall around your tent, like a windbreaker.”

At altitude—or 17 thousand feet—things change.  “Your body shuts down.  It really doesn’t like you.  It’s focused on staying warm.” Hunger disappears.  The only food they can tolerate is Pringles.

Down time is simple and includes talking, Hearts tournaments, and audiobooks. Matt’s literary preferences include sci-fi, fantasy and Eragon.  They melt snow and add the water to their freeze dried food, eat, and go to sleep on two pads—one foam, one blow up—and a sleeping bag designed for temperatures that fall to 40 degrees below zero.

Matt Moniz is an altogether new breed of individual: focused, perseverant, at peace. A kid standing in a sea of clouds, listening to Eragon on his iPod and munching Pringles on the snows of Kilimanjaro.